Washington, D.C. - Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced plans to establish a “Connected Care Pilot Program” to support the use of telehealth solutions for low-income and rural Americans. ACT | The App Association's Connected Health Initiative (CHI) has long been a supporter of telehealth innovations and the benefits they bring to patients and caregivers throughout the continuum of care. CHI Executive Director Morgan Reed offered the following statement in support of the FCC's new program.

“We strongly support the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) decision to establish the ‘Connected Care Pilot Program.’ This $100 million program is a boon for the millions of Americans living without reliable access to healthcare and the American businesses driving effective, innovative telehealth solutions. We have long been a vocal advocate of connected health and the vital importance of connectivity – without access to broadband, the personalized care, expedited diagnoses, lowered healthcare costs, and countless cost-saving, life-saving benefits of telehealth would be utterly impossible.

“We applaud Commissioner Carr’s leadership in this endeavor and for driving additional attention to the importance of broadband-enabled healthcare. The telehealth solutions our members create enable doctors and caregivers to treat patients where they are, and greater broadband deployment ensures these solutions are available to more Americans in more places across the country.

“This pilot program could create more opportunities for our nation’s leading telehealth innovators, like our steering committee member University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), to increase healthcare access and improve treatment outcomes. In a state like Mississippi where 60 percent of the population lives 40-minutes from specialty care facilities, UMMC has used telehealth solutions like remote monitoring and store and forward technologies to treat patients cost-effectively, remotely, and in real time.

“We are excited for the new opportunities that will stem from additional resources and support for broadband-enabled telehealth solutions, and we thank the FCC for their dedication to this vital issue.”

To learn more about the FCC's Connected Care Pilot Program, please click here.